Don't Follow the Crowd
by nsheldonb
Summary: Luna is unique. She's different from everyone and that's because she lives by her mother's words: Don't Follow the Crowd. Written for The Build-A-Bear Challenge, Choosing an Animal. AU Disclaimer: I don't anything, but the idea! It all goes to JK Rowling! No beta!


**Build- A- Bear Challenge**

**Choosing Your Animal: Dragon** _(Write about someone unique)_

**Don't Follow the Crowd**

As a Ravenclaw, Luna was smart. No one saw her as smart, but she could see things that no one else could. She saw invisible creatures and was friendly to all ghosts. She was a strange one, but her friends, like Harry and Neville, found her unique. She made the world brighter with her smile and was someone that could lend an ear.

She was someone that stood out from the crowd and was proud of it. In the moments of despair, Luna would find a way to make people laugh.

It was that quality that made Hermione become her friend. During the war, when everything was chaotic and dark, Luna was able to make Hermione see the bright side of when the war would finally end. Instead of being worried about dying, Luna smiled as she imagined the future, how many people would finally be able to sleep and not have to worry about getting attacked. Sure, it might take a few months, even years, but they would be safe and free.

The talk of freedom and future is what made Hermione and Luna become friends.

When the death and destruction and smoke had finally cleared, Luna was able to comfort Hermione. After the months of running around and around to destroy Horcruxes were done, Hermione was finally able to let down her defenses and cry.

"Just think about how happy you will be in the future," Luna told Hermione while hugging her. Her blonde hair was tousled and her clothes had blood and dirt, but she smiled.

"How can I think about _my_ _future_ when there are so many people that will _never_ have a _future_!?" Hermione screamed and sobbed at the same time. Hermione thought of Lavender Brown, her roommate, a girl that was the same year as her, now dead.

"Think about it as this way," Luna hummed to herself. "They died to give _us_ a chance of a better life. Don't let their sacrifice go down in vain. Live and be happy. Just _always_ remember, don't _ever_ forget them and their deeds."

Hermione smiled at the Ravenclaw and realized that she was right. She _will_ live on. She _will_ be happy. She _will_ remember each and every one of them. They were heroes and heroines.

"Thank you," Hermione told her. "I'm happy that we became friends. I'm glad that Umbridge drove us to create the DA. I'm glad that we partnered up and became friends. Even though that year was terrible, I would repeat it all over to make sure that I was your friend. You're a wonderful person Luna. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Luna beamed at the compliment. She had never heard such a wonderful thing said about her. The Blood Quills had been used and Hermione would be happy to go through all the pain again if it would mean that Luna would still be her friend.

"Thank you."

Over the years, Hermione and Luna became closer friends. Luna helped Hermione will her S.P.E.W. campaign. Though the Ministry didn't let the House Elves go free, they were able to give House Elves more rights, like the right to leave any master at any time. Hermione helped Luna run the Quibbler for awhile by becoming a temporary reporter, even though she despised reporters like Rita Skeeter. People started to apply for jobs once Hermione was able to get an interview from Oliver Wood, Keeper of Puddlemere United and former Gryffindor Quidditch Captain.

Luna was happy to have such a wonderful friend with her and hoped that nothing would ever tear them apart.

One day in the summer, right before Hogwarts would start, Luna was walking by Weasley's Wizards Wheezes while on her day off and saw Hermione in there with the standard uniform of WWW. Curious, Luna came in to see why Hermione was working at the joke shop that was now owned by only George Weasley.

When Luna opened the door, the bell ringed. While Luna was looking at the products from where she stood and the various children, stocking up on jokes before going to Hogwarts, Hermione came up to her.

"Hello! My name is Hermione Granger! How may I help your joking needs?" Hermione grinned automatically to the new customer. Hermione's eyes widened once she saw that she was facing Luna of all people.

"Why hello Hermione!" Luna smiled with a dazzling smile. "I didn't know you worked here. No one would ever believe me if I told them that the smartest and most powerful witch of her generation was working at a joke shop."

"Sorry I never told you," Hermione smiled sheepishly. "I've been helping George with the shop. We've been short- staffed for a couple of months after three people quit at the same time for more approvable jobs at the Ministry. Their families apparently hadn't liked them working at a joke shop." Hermione started to head towards the cash register once she heard a few shouts to ring up their purchases. Luna decided to follow to continue their conversation.

"That's a funny reason to quit. My mother's favorite thing to say was 'Don't follow the crowd.' As you saw all these years, I've lived and breathed that saying thoroughly."

"That's really interesting," Hermione said. "That'll be four Galleons and six Sickles." The kid handed over the money and left with a smile on his face. "So… Is that why you never paid attention to what the other students said to you?"

"No," Luna said. "I paid attention, just never cared. It's quite rude to ignore people. Anyways, if people bullying others for their beliefs is normal, I would never want to be consider part of 'the crowd.'"

Hermione hummed in thought. Luna was wise and it was all because of her mother that died when she was only nine years- old.

Throughout the day, Hermione continued to work in WWW, but Luna also decided to help her as well. Luna worked on the cash register while Hermione: helped customers find products, introduced customers to the shop, and solve problems with customers.

On the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the war, Luna decided to something unique and different, something that made her Luna.

Luna and Hermione walked through the Great Hall and sat down on one of the many benches that were in the Great Hall. Everyone held large bouquets of flowers, each one meaning something and for a certain someone that they had lost. There was a podium for people to speak about those they have loved and lost, but still remember.

Several people spoke: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Minerva McGonagall (Headmistress now), Filius Flitwick (Deputy Headmaster), Rubeus Hagrid (Head of Gryffindor), Pomona Sprout, Horace Slughorn (Head of Slytherin), and so many others. Hermione didn't speak. When Luna asked why, Hermione just told her that talking about it would just bring up painful memories that she had finally been able to heal. Luna understood.

After the speeches, everyone went outside with their flowers to the Hogwarts cemetery where everyone who died during the Battle of Hogwarts laid in peace. At first though, many families wanted to move them to where their own family members were, but decided to honor them as heroes and heroines.

In Luna's hands were many dark pink roses that had the meaning of gratitude and thanks. After she had placed a dark pink rose of Jenna Strother's grave, a Ravenclaw in Fred and George's year, she went to the graves that nobody visited. The graves that everyone hated. The graves that had no flowers. The graves that had the names of Death Eaters and Voldemort.

She went to Voldemort's grave and laid down one dark pink rose. Behind her, she heard gasps and then harsh whispers. Of course, Luna knew that people weren't going to be happy when she placed a flower of gratitude on the grave of those who killed their loved ones.

Hermione turned around after she placed her last flower to see Luna placing a flower of gratitude on the Dark Lord's grave. Frowning, Hermione decided to walk over to Luna to ask her why she would put that kind of flower of his grave.

"Hello Hermione," Luna said with a dreamy sigh. She knew Hermione was going to ask. She wasn't disappointed, on the contrary, she was glad that Hermione was going to ask.

"Hey Luna," Hermione greeted, still frowning. "Why are you putting flowers of gratitude on Voldemort's grave?"

"I'm glad you asked," Luna said. After putting the rest of her flowers down temporarily, Luna dragged Hermione closer to the whispering crowd that got quieter when they saw her. "I'm here to tell all of you why I put a flower of gratitude on Voldemort's grave." The crowd and Hermione nodded, interested in what the psychotic girl had to say.

Taking a deep breath, Luna started her speech: "There is an old Muggle saying, _Everything happens for a reason_. I believe this. I'm thanking Voldemort, no… Tom Riddle Jr., for all that he has given to us. I understand that because of his lust for power, many died, family and friends alike, but he gave more than what he took. The fear he put on us made us stronger, revealed who we truly were, and brought many of us together.

"In the First Wizarding War, people showed where their loyalties truly lied with and strove many to become more powerful. Arthur and Molly Weasley once told me that they had so many children to make sure that they would never be lonely. Arthur's brothers died and so did Molly's. Their children impacted the world and there were so many because they didn't want their children to _ever_ go through the pain and loneliness that they felt.

"When Cedric Diggory died, the students of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Drumstrang were united. His death made enemies become friends. His death prepared the students for the war and all that was going to happen, whether or not we listened. His death made the Ministry show their true colors of bigotry and favoritism. By doing this, he drove other students to make the Ministry less corrupt.

"When Umbridge came to Hogwarts, the DA was formed. The DA helped create life- long friends, like Hermione and I. That year made people rebel and show their true colors. Students became wild and free and happy! Fred and George opened their joke shop up before sixth year and it never would have happened if they weren't forced out of Hogwarts. They decided that no one was _ever_ going to control their lives again. People realized that sometimes, you _have_ to fight for what you believe in.

"When things truly started to become darker, people fought more for what they believed in. Harry taught us new spells from Snape's journal that have saved many Aurors and people in general because they either used them or new just how dangerous those spells were. Our knowledge was expanded and we became closer.

"After Dumbledore's death, the adventure truly started, for all of us. While Harry, Hermione, and Ron were out hunting Horcruxes, everyone at Hogwarts found themselves. We fought and proved our loyalty through the torture of the Carrow siblings. Stronger, braver, smarter, and more powerful is what all of us became. All of us decided that we _had_ to become independent and stop relying on only Harry to help us. We were united and gained hope.

"Tom Riddle Jr. led us to be who we are today. I am stronger, braver, happier, and smarter than I ever would have been had Riddle decided to just be a good little boy. Though many of my friends died and are broken because of him, I thank him. I am who I am and that is something I would never want to change.

"I'm not asking anyone to give flowers of gratitude and thanks to him, but I would like you to know and think on this. War and times of darkness bring people together. Think about the people you have become close to and what would have happened had Tom Riddle Jr., Voldemort, decided to be good or just not exist at all. Our lives were based off of the decisions he had chosen, whether we realize it or not."

Luna smiled at the crowd when she finished her speech. Hermione nodded in agreement. Her friendship with Harry and Ron never would have started. Voldemort had released the troll that was the catalyst to the budding friendship. She shuddered to think about what her life would have been like without Voldemort's influence. She would have been the bookworm, buck- toothed loser that had no friends in both worlds.

"You are the wisest person I have ever met," Hermione smiled to Luna as Luna began to place flowers of gratitude on each and every one of the graves that held the name of a Death Eater.

"Thank you, but just remember something."

"What?"

"Don't follow the crowd."


End file.
